Virtual reality haptic device

Abstract

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful to collect information regarding haptic characteristics of objects and transmit the same to a haptic feedback device in order to simulate the haptic feedback characteristics of the object. In some embodiments, a sensor device contains movable parts to contact and exert force upon the object in order to measure its firmness, resilience, texture, or other haptic characteristics, and the haptic feedback device contains movable structures to replicate the haptic characteristics for a remote user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A virtual reality system for presenting a user with haptic sensations representative of the firmness of an object for wholesale or retail purchase, the system comprising:
 a sensor device for detecting the firmness of an object at multiple areas across at least one surface of the object, the sensor device comprising:
 a support member; 
 a plurality of probes extending from the support member, the probes forming an array of probes and each probe having at least a distal end thereof moveable along a linear path between a proximal position toward the support member and a distal position away from the support member; 
 a pneumatic drive mechanism for linearly shifting the distal ends of the plurality of probes toward their respective distal positions; 
 at least one regulator for applying a set amount of force from the pneumatic drive mechanism to the plurality of probes; 
 one or more sensors to receive information relating to the amount of movement of the distal ends of the plurality of probes; and 
 a computer memory for receiving and storing the information relating to the amount of movement of the distal ends of the plurality of probes; 
   a stereoscopic camera for obtaining images comprising the at least one surface of the object and mapping the images to a three dimensional coordinate system;   a haptic feedback device comprising:
 a base member; 
 a flexible membrane coupled to the base member; 
 a plurality of buttress structures arranged in an array of buttress structures corresponding to the array of probes, the array of buttress structures disposed between the base member and flexible membrane, at least a portion of each buttress structure biased toward the membrane, each buttress structure further comprising a solenoid coupled to a power source for modifying a force exerted upon the flexible membrane by the buttress structure; 
   a head mounted display for displaying the images from the stereoscopic camera mapped to the haptic feedback device; and   a control circuit configured to:
 receive from the sensor device the information relating to the amount of movement of the distal ends of the plurality of probes; 
 transmit signals to the haptic feedback device for causing the solenoids of the plurality of buttress structures to shift at least a portion of the buttress structures in response to the information relating to the amount of movement of distal ends of corresponding probes so that the force exerted upon the membrane by each buttress member is correlated with the information relating to the amount of movement of the distal end of a corresponding probe of the sensing device so that the firmness of the flexible membrane as supported by the buttress structures is representative of the firmness of the object; and 
 cause the head mounted display to present the images from the stereoscopic camera over the haptic device and oriented so that portions of the images corresponding to portions of the surface detected by specific probes of the array of probes are aligned with corresponding buttress structures from the array of buttress structures. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane comprises polyurethane. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the flexible membrane of the haptic feedback device has a generally curved surface. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , further comprising one or more symbols on the haptic feedback device and an optical sensor associated with the head mounted display for determining the orientation of the haptic feedback device based on positions of the one or more symbols. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the haptic feedback device is generally spherical and the buttress structures comprise conical springs. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the array of probes is disposed at one end of a box structure sized and configured to be placed around the object. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the array of probes is associated with a conveyor device for conveying the object from a first position to a second position. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the control circuit transmits information relating to a price discount via the display device based on information relating to prior use of the system. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each probe in the array is spaced apart from adjacent probes by a distance between 1 mm to 1 cm. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a moveable impact member for impacting the object, an audio recording device for recording sounds generated by impact of the impact member with the object and storing the recorded sounds as an audio file, and a speaker associated with the head mounted display for playing the audio file. 
     
     
         11 . A haptic feedback device for simulating the firmness of an object, the haptic feedback device comprising:
 a base member;   a flexible membrane coupled to the base member;   a plurality of buttress structures arranged in an array between the base member and the flexible membrane, each buttress structure of the array corresponding to a region of the object to be simulated; and   a control circuit coupled to the array;   wherein the control circuit is configured to receive information regarding each of the regions of the object and transmit control signals to the buttress structures to cause each buttress structure to exert a force on the flexible membrane representative of the firmness of the corresponding region of the object.   
     
     
         12 . The haptic feedback device of  claim 11 , wherein the flexible membrane comprises first and second conducting layers of patterned individually-activated electrodes separated by an insulating layer. 
     
     
         13 . The haptic feedback device of  claim 11 , wherein the flexible membrane has a generally curved surface. 
     
     
         14 . The haptic feedback device of  claim 11 , wherein the buttress structures comprise springs. 
     
     
         15 . The haptic feedback device of  claim 11 , wherein the buttress structures comprise pneumatic pistons. 
     
     
         16 . A method of simulating the firmness of an object for wholesale or retail purchase in a virtual reality system, the method comprising:
 applying a sensor device comprising a plurality of probes arranged in an array to the object and positioning each of the probes against a surface of the object under application of a first amount of force;   driving the probes toward the surface of the object under application of a second amount of force greater than the first amount of force;   measuring an amount of movement of each probe between application of the first amount of force and second amount of force;   transmitting a signal representative of the movement to a control circuit for each probe;   capturing a three-dimensional image of at least the surface of the object using a stereoscopic camera;   transmitting one or more control signals from the control circuit to a haptic feedback device sufficient to cause a plurality of buttress structures to exert an amount of pressure on a flexible membrane, the buttress structures arranged in an array with each buttress structure corresponding to a different one of the probes of the sensor device so that the pressure exerted on the flexible membrane in a given region corresponds to the firmness of a corresponding region of the object; and   transmitting to a head mounted display the three-dimensional image from the stereoscopic camera so that the three-dimensional image is mapped to the haptic device with regions of the three-dimensional image mapped to corresponding buttress members each simulating a firmness level of the respective mapped region.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein information regarding multiple objects is presented to a user to allow the user to select which object will be simulated on the haptic feedback device and the head-mounted display. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein machine learning is implemented to determine at least in part the information that is presented to the user. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the machine learning utilizes information relating to past purchases. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the machine learning utilizes information relating to the purchases of family members of a user wearing the head-mounted display.